Noah Syndergaard’s 2023 run with the Dodgers was supposed to be the kind of reset that gets a pitcher back on track. Instead, it became the stretch he now points to as the low point of a career that once looked headed for much bigger things.
Syndergaard was an All-Star with the New York Mets in 2016 and finished eighth in National League Cy Young voting that year, a season that had him looking like a future star on the mound. He followed that with some solid years, but injuries kept interrupting the climb and he never got back to that 2016 level. By the time he signed with Los Angeles in 2023, the idea was simple: the Dodgers had a reputation for helping pitchers rediscover themselves.
That didn’t happen.
Syndergaard lasted only half a season with Los Angeles, posting a 7.16 ERA in 12 starts before the Dodgers traded him to the Cleveland Guardians. He made six starts for Cleveland, and that was the last time he appeared in an MLB game.
In a recent interview with Leo Sepkowitz of GQ, Syndergaard didn’t sugarcoat how it felt.
“I would be the first player in history that the Dodgers made progressively worse,” Syndergaard said.
He also described the season as a brutal mental grind, not just a rough statistical line.
“It was more so, what the f**k is going on in my life? Is this a nightmare? Is this reality,” Syndergaard added in the interview with GQ.
Syndergaard is 33 and has not pitched in a big league game in three years, but he is not retired and remains a free agent. Whether he gets another MLB shot is still unclear.
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Guardians May Be Headed For A Payroll Shift Fans Never Expected
With the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire this offseason, the next round of labor talks is already hovering over every front office decision. The biggest fight remains the same: owners are pushing for a salary floor, while the players keep resisting any move toward a salary cap. For teams like the Guardians, that debate matters more than most because any new system could change how aggressively they are expected to spend.
If the MLB Players Association ultimately accepts something closer to the NFLs recent labor deal, the ripple effects could be significant for Cleveland. A payroll shift would not just be about adding money for the sake of optics, but about forcing real decisions on extensions, roster construction and how long the Guardians can keep leaning on their usual model. For a franchise that has built around restraint, the possibility of being pushed into a different financial lane is the kind of twist few fans saw coming. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A First Base Decision Fans Will Watch Closely
The Guardians have spent much of this season leaning into youth, already giving 10 players their first taste of the majors, with infielder Angel Genao and second baseman Travis Bazzana among the newcomers to reach Cleveland. Now the next possible arrival could come at first base, where the organization has another highly regarded young player knocking on the door after a strong run in Triple-A.
Ralphy Velazquez, the clubs No. 2 prospect, is in position to be part of the September roster expansion picture, even as Cleveland has tried to stabilize the spot by bringing in Nathaniel Lowe after Kyle Manzardo struggled and was sent back to Triple-A. For a team that has not been shy about turning to fresh faces, the first-base picture suddenly feels like one of the more interesting decisions left on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Jos Ramrez Has Become Clevelands Biggest Concern At The Worst Time
Jos Ramrezs return in late July was supposed to steady the middle of Clevelands lineup, but instead it has become one more uneasy subplot in a season that has slipped out of playoff position. The Guardians are 59-63 and looking up at the rest of the American League field, so every quiet stretch at the plate feels magnified, especially from the player who usually sets the tone for everything they do.
Ramrez came back on July 22 after a five-week absence with a hamate bone fracture, and he has not looked like his usual self since then. He is batting .231 and has not driven a ball for extra bases since returning, which is not the kind of production Cleveland can afford to lose in the stretch run, even if Stephen Vogt continues to back his star publicly. [Read more 🡒]